Farm worker in Charl Cilliers area says the sight of his murdered daughter’s little body will haunt him forever

Princess Rossouw, a spontaneous and happy seven-year-old who dreamt of becoming a doctor, was ripped away from her family last weekend.

Her little body was found on March 8 in a shallow grave deep in a mealie field on the farm Syferfontein that spans agricultural land along the R50 between Standerton and the eMbalenhle turn-off.

Farm worker Sunnyboy Rossouw said he will forever be haunted by the sight of his youngest child in the spot where she was found.

“There was blood on her mouth. I think she might have been strangled. The most shocking to us was that her half-naked body was so clean – it looked almost as if she had been washed. It breaks me that I could not protect her,” Rossouw recalled.

This mealie field is the view that greets Rossouw, his life partner Stella Motha and their remaining three children every day. Also in open view is the home of the 21-year-old man who was arrested in connection with Princess’s murder.

“He is someone we knew and trusted. Princess even called him her uncle,” Rossouw told Ridge Times last week.

He described the events of that Saturday (March 7), when Princess disappeared. She was playing outside with the other children from neighbouring homes on the farm.

“She was always so bubbly and had many friends. She loved her siblings and was always happy to see her family,” said Rossouw.

But that afternoon, Princess did not return home with her two older sisters and brother.

“I was at home when we noticed that Princess was missing. We went around the neighbourhood asking after her, and our neighbours also joined in the search all over the farm,” said Rossouw.

He said they even searched the same mealie field in which the child’s body was later found buried, but they did not find anything at the time.

“Our search continued throughout the night because we believed and hoped that maybe she was somewhere safe.”

By morning (Sunday), they called the police. Although the area is considered to be part of Lekwa Municipality, it falls within the Charl Cilliers police precinct.

Members from the K9 Unit, detectives, the CPF, farmers in the area, neighbours and friends pitched in to help search for the missing Grade One learner of Bonga Niven Combined School on the farm.
Rossouw said the police found a bag near the mealie field.

Blood-stained clothes, believed to be the clothes Princess had worn on Saturday, were allegedly among the bag’s contents. The police called for and then questioned the young man, whom they suspected of being the owner of the bag.

“He eventually showed the police where Princess’s body had been buried. The body was then exhumed.”

While the grieving family is struggling to come to terms with the crime and their loss, George Sebeloane (21) made his first appearance in the dock at the Secunda Magistrate’s Court on March 10.

The case was postponed to March 16 for Sebeloane to apply for legal aid assistance.

In the meantime, the Rossouw family wants to know the reason behind their child’s murder, and they hope justice will prevail. They are also concerned for the safety of the other children on the farm.

The funeral for Princess was held on Saturday (March 14).

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